This sculptured bust of a Jewish Woman in Algiers is so filled with like that one might expect it to move. The artist’s use of multiple media and the painstaking detail of the work shows us a contrast to what may be commonly believed to represent sculpture. We are accustomed to seeing ancient, and even modern works which, though beautiful in form, are often carved of monochromatic materials, making them somewhat distant and sterile.
The artist, Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier, used Algerian onyx marble for the base, bronze for the figure and adorned it with gold, enamel and amethyst. These materials give the bust its eclectic quality and lifelike appearance. The bronze has a warm glow and a “touchable” quality unusual in sculpture. The audience often feels the urge to touch a sculpture to feel its smoothness, but this sculpture invites the audience to caress the bronze for its warmth.
The life size of this sculpture is another attraction to examine detail, from her Mona-Lisa like enigmatic smile to the glowing eyes with visible amethyst pupils and enameled whites. Her pensive look makes the viewer wonder about the object of her gaze. The artist’s impression of his subject comes through quite well as the subject would have dominated her space as does this wonderful bust. All eyes would have been drawn to her as she entered any room.
The decoration of the bust is a marvelous example of the talented workmanship in a variety of media. The decoration of the bronze head-dress with enamel produces an exciting contrast to the unadorned face and hair. Her arms are tucked under her ample breasts and what appears to be a rather diminutive waist, and the texture of the marble hints of where the hands must be by its pattern of flowing wrinkles. The decoration of the bodice in bronze filigree edges with gold plus the encrusted headpiece pins complete a vision of a woman of privilege who enjoyed being fashionably adorned.
The symmetry and balance of this figure has an almost saint-like quality, as if the subject had a spiritual quality which drew the artist to her. The use of flowing lines with no corners gives this a cameo quality, furthering the impression of saintliness. Even the flowing curves of the base hint at a skirt, rather than a support for the bust, totally integrated with the bronze casting. Her age is probably more than at first perceived, since our impression of her beauty give us the feel of youth. However, the shaping of the bodice and the tiny lines at the eyes bespeak a more matronly quality.
This woman was much admired by the artist, possibly even loved. Yet the angle of the head and the hidden arms make us feel as if she were somehow removed from his circle, available to be admired, but never to be embraced. The look on the subject’s face is very pleased, but she is not looking at the artist. This sculpture was possibly the closest the artist could come to possession and he strove to capture every life-like quality of his subject. In looking at an enlarged copy of the upper right quadrant of her face we can see that the fair was cast from a different composition of bronze and brushed, possibly adorned with a bit of silver to give it a different texture from her highly polished skin.
The onyx marble material has very warm tones as if it were marvelously woven fiber, and it was carved in stages so to accept the insertion of the cast bronze. The bodice filigree of bronze over white enamel and adorned with gold would have required addition sculpting of the base to be so well fitted as to appear to be part of the dress. The leather bands on the shoulders and just below the breasts are probably very carefully enameled with a mixture of color directly on the marble.
The whole work, so artfully balanced, really fascinated me, and if I could purchase a good facsimile in less expensive materials, I could easily imagine finding a place of honor for this magnificent woman in my home. The combination of the art of sculpture and the addition of the very astute application of decorative art makes this an uniquely inspiring work of art. It has life and warmth embodied in a tightly controlled, but physically three dimensional, example of the highest quality of artistic vision and craft.
References
Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier, 1862, Jewish Woman from Algiers, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, in The Color of Life, Getty Villa Exhibitions on line, 2008. Web.